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Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Care Utilization among U.S. College Students: Applying the Institution of Medicine Definition of Health Care Disparities

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Abstract

Objective

The authors apply the Institute of Medicine’s definition of health care disparities to college students.

Methods

The analysis pools data from the first two waves of the Healthy Minds Study, a multicampus survey of students’ mental health (N = 13,028). A probit model was used for any past-year service utilization, and group differences in health status were adjusted by transforming the entire distribution for each minority population to approximate the white distribution.

Results

Disparities existed between whites and all minority groups. Compared to other approaches, the predicted service disparities were greater because this method included the effects of mediating SES variables.

Conclusions

Health care disparities persist in the college setting despite improved access and nearly universal insurance coverage. Our findings emphasize the importance of investigating potential sources of disparities beyond geography and coverage.

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported in part by the VA South Central (VISN 16) Mental Illness Research, Education, and Clinical Center and the Arkansas Biosciences Institute, the major research component of the Arkansas Tobacco Settlement Proceeds Act of 2000.

Disclosures

None of the authors have a conflict of interest related to the conduct of this research or the findings delineated above.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Psychiatric Research Institute, Little Rock, AR, USA

    Justin B. Hunt, Liya Lu & Molly Gathright

  2. University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Daniel Eisenberg

Authors
  1. Justin B. Hunt
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  2. Daniel Eisenberg
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  3. Liya Lu
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  4. Molly Gathright
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Justin B. Hunt.

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Hunt, J.B., Eisenberg, D., Lu, L. et al. Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Mental Health Care Utilization among U.S. College Students: Applying the Institution of Medicine Definition of Health Care Disparities. Acad Psychiatry 39, 520–526 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0148-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40596-014-0148-1

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